The Best Way to Get the Meat out of a Lobster

Lobster meat is a decadent treat for summertime grilling. I’m hungry just thinking about that tender seafood drenched in melted butter. Now that is some serious summer food!

But cooking lobster is not always an easy task, for more than one reason. First and foremost, the meat can be impossible to get out of that hard lobster shell. But not with these simple hacks! Use these little tricks to get the most meat of your lobsters this seafood season.

So you’re staring at your cooked lobster thinking…what next. We’ve all been there. Luckily, America’s Test Kitchen breaks down step-by-step how to get the most out of your lobster.

STEP 1: Start by grabbing the tail of the lobster in one hand and the lobster body in the other. Twist in opposite directions and pull to separate easily.

STEP 2: Tackle the tail. Put the tail on its side and use both hands to press down until the shell cracks. Then flip it on its back, flippers facing you, and pull down the sides of the tail to open the shell and take out the meat.

STEP 3: Use a knife to cut open the dark vein running down the tail and pull that layer away. Rinse off the meat, disposing of the green gunk that should be on both sides of the tail, before patting off the meat to dry.

STEP 4: For the knuckles, you’ll need to pull off both lobster claws. Separate the claws from the arms, then separate the knuckles in half using the back of a knife or a lobster cracking tool, if you have it. Use a teaspoon to push out the meat from all four knuckles.

STEP 5: The claws should be pulled apart by pulling off the smaller half first. If there’s meat in there, poke it out with a skewer. Crack the larger part of the claw with your knife or cracker and pull out the meat.

STEP 6: Pull off all the legs and use a rolling pin to get the meat out. Start at the tip and roll to the opening, stopping just before so you don’t break off lobster shell into the meat.

There is so much meat in every lobster, you just have to know where it is and how to get it out! And with this tutorial, that should be easy as pie.

What do you think of this lobster tutorial? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.